The start-up market in Australia has experienced rapid growth over the past decade. In financial year 2019, 71 new investment deals in start-up companies in Australia were reported. This was the highest number of investment deals for start-ups over the measured period. In the same year, the
value of new investment deals in start-up companies amounted to 86 million Australian dollars.
 Startups and investment 
The
value of follow-on investments in start-up companies was about three quarters that of new investments. Follow-on investments are subsequent investments made by an investor at a later stage. As of May 2020, Judo Bank was the
leading Australian startup in terms of funding, securing around three times the funding of the remaining startups in the top ten.
 
 Impact of COVID-19 
 
Despite Australia’s readiness to take on business risks and its robust startup culture, the impact of the
coronavirus pandemic has dealt a huge blow to the Australian economy in general. The
Business Confidence Index (BCI) in Australia had reached a five-year low by mid-2020. Nationwide,
most businesses in the country had been impacted by COVID-19 in some way.